Born 1976, Suva, Fiji
Lives and works in Sydney, Australia

Working across performance, moving image, painting and installation, Salote Tawale probes ideas of self-representation, humorously challenging stereotypes and presenting nuanced articulations of the complex negotiations around identity as a Fijian woman living in Australia. Tawale’s recent works expand these concerns, acknowledging the growing significance of indigenous knowledge systems to individuals living in the diaspora in navigating this particular time and space.

Developed specifically for APT10, No Location comprises an almost 15-metre-long bamboo raft referencing a traditional Fijian watercraft known as a bilibili. A rumination on the experience of constantly moving between homes, it draws on the sophisticated design and engineering of Tawale’s Fijian ancestors, revising it to meet the realities of our contemporary moment. With humour and a lightness of touch, Tawale gently proposes that we consider the potential of this cultural knowledge and worldview as we chart a future affected by an increase in devastating climate events, rising oceans and global pandemics.